Love Song
by Dixxy Mouri
Summary: Companion to "Prisoners of War". YAOI. Four years before Chrono Cross, Glenn got his first taste of love through the charming Elliot deLarouge until the Cogs of Fate decided differently.
1. Hello

Love Song

By Dixxy

"Hello"

**__**

Dixxy's Notes: This is a sort-of prologue to Prisoners of War_ that focuses on the relationship between Elliot and Glenn and, furthermore, why they broke up before Elliot ended up part of the rebellion movement. Mostly I'm writing this because I wanted to practice a few intimate scenes (not full-blown lemons, mind you) – I'm not a very experienced yaoi writer as of yet, so this is the first "heavy" yaoi fic I've done._

Instead of naming each chapter with something like "Chapter One" or what-not, they're named after the different love songs that appear throughout the fic.

Elliot glanced across the mess hall, his fork hanging from his bottom lip and his elbow on the table as he stared at the Dragoon he knew only as "Glenn". He really didn't know much about him, except his name, who his family was, that he liked to read and was part of the sword division of the Acacia Dragoons. His hair was a soft, platinum blonde in color, his eyes a deep blue, and his skin a deep bronze from many sunny days spent in the sun.

Most people called him "Dario's brother", usually with a choice of "kid", "baby", or "little" between the other two words. Unquestionably, the Dario they spoke of was THE Dario – Grandmaster of the Einlanzer, leader of the Devas, escort to Lady Riddel, and more than likely next in line to General Viper's post once the old man died or decided to retire. Furthermore, that also made Glenn the son of Garai, who was perhaps the greatest Deva of all-time and would remain there until someone – probably Dario – did something greater.

Though it made sense to Elliot that the kid would want to at least come CLOSE to where his brother and father stood, he was doing everything but that. Elliot guessed this was because he was afraid that he would look like a snot if he performed too well, and probably wanted to stay out of the lime light for the time being. Besides, some of the other Dragoons were jealous of him – he was only sixteen, which was very young for a Dragoon, AND from perhaps the most famous line of noble Dragoons to ever live aside from the Viper family line itself. He was taunted when his brother or one of the other Devas weren't around, but Glenn seemed to scared to stand up to them.

But when Glenn was by himself or sparring with his older brother when the Grandmaster had spare time in his busy schedule, he was magnificent. Simply wonderful to watch. Sure he wasn't a match for the Deva, but the younger put up a fight and came very close to winning on a few select occasions.

Elliot loved watching those matches (though he never watched them in the open – technically he was eavesdropping, and for that charge he was sure Dario would give him latrine duty for a month). Usually they sparred in a private training ground reserved for the Devas, so they had a lot of freedom to move around unlike the over-crowded sparring field user by the lower-ranking Dragoons. The matches were heated and furious, almost as if it were a well-planned dance routine. Sword against sword, parry to parry and leap for leap.

About halfway through the match, they would pause briefly to begin removing their shirts – by this point they were sweaty and the clothing only got in the way. Elliot loved that part of the sessions – that meant things would begin to pick up now that they were warmed up. At that point they were more into the fight, almost as if they were arch rivals locked in a life and death battle rather than brothers having a friendly sparring match.

Elliot also loved watching the way their muscles moved beneath their tanned skin. Though neither of the brothers were what Elliot considered to be buff (in Elliot's mind, buff meant muscles that rivaled the size of the head), they were both muscular. Dario was slightly more so – he was, after all, in his early twenties and Glenn was still a teenager – quite simply it was just a matter of Dario having used a sword longer. Glenn's frame, though lean, had signs of developing muscle and one day he would likely be in the same physical shape his brother was in.

_Now if I was in THAT physical shape I'd be one happy little Dragoon._

After all, the only reason he bothered watching the matches was because of the younger man.

I've been alone with you inside my mind   
And in my dreams, I've kissed your lips a thousand times

Unfortunately, Glenn dodged ALL of his advances. Though Elliot KNEW that the kid was just like him, it didn't appear as if he wanted out of the proverbial "closet" as of yet. Technically, Elliot wasn't out and about yet, either – a lot of the other Dragoons weren't very accepting of alternate lifestyles. Especially his choice of alternate lifestyle.

Elliot sensed Glenn knew this as well, and tried to hide it from the Dragoons. As far as every skirt chasing Dragoon Viper had recruited, Glenn was doing a fine job – Elliot was fairly sure even Dario didn't know. But to someone like him? No sweat. Elliot had a second sense when it came to knowing which way the door swung for a person, he was convinced Glenn's door swung his way.

Elliot didn't quite remember when his obsession began. Maybe it was the first time he saw Glenn in the barracks, when he was packing his belongings into his pitiful excuse for a dresser, which looked exactly like every other pitiful excuse for a dresser in their bunk room. That always amused Elliot – brother of a Deva or not, he still had to suffer through the lower ranks. Elliot had greeted him with a friendly hello, and Glenn had answered with a wave and a smile.

But something about him drove Elliot's senses crazy. He was somewhat handsome in a youthful, rugged sort of way. He did have that deep tan from being outside so much – Glenn was a Green, and Greens tended to like being outside (Elliot himself was a Red, and he only liked to go outside when it was warm – he despised the cold). His hair wasn't particularly well kept, but it was held back with a long lilac ribbon he used as a headband – he was teased relentlessly about it, but Elliot thought it was charming. The only noticeable flaw he had (aside from the unavoidable minor cuts and scrapes Dragoons tended to acquire) was the cross-scar that adorned his cheek. Granted the mark had faded to show its age, but it was still a dull red-brown in color that stuck out against the rest of his skin. It seemed like this was something Glenn was sensitive about, and sometimes when he got worried he covered the scar with his hand as he tried to melt into the shadows, away from whatever it was that was making him feel on edge.

I sometimes see you pass outside my door   
Hello, is it me you're looking for?

Oh, how Elliot longed to take him into his arms and tell him it would all be all right. But every single time he tried to get close to Glenn since their first encounter in the barracks, a panicked look would set onto the younger Dragoon's face and he would make as fast an exit as possible. Rarely did Elliot get more than an "excuse me" or the occasional "I really must be going – good-bye!" before Glenn was out of sight or a good distance away. That made Elliot's heart sink. Why was Glenn avoiding him?

Elliot's first thoughts directly correlated to Glenn's family. Glenn probably thought he was going to end up the butt of some prank, or joke, or hazing incident all because he was who he was. That didn't quite explain the fear Glenn seemed to have, but it was the best explanation Elliot had.

I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your smile   
You're all I've ever wanted, and my arms are open wide

Well, Glenn had no reason to be with him – they weren't exactly friends or anything. But Elliot was having one hell of a time trying to get even that far.Even if he could just be friends with him. . . no. That would drive him even more insane. Having him at a distance and out of reach was one thing. . . but that CLOSE and out of reach? Elliot knew he would barely be able to handle it. Dragon Gods, he'd probably start stuttering like a fool and fidgeting like mad every time Glenn asked him to borrow boot polish. No. He had to have all or nothing._  
  
Cause you know just what to say and you know just what to do   
And I want to tell you so much I love you._

Feeling brave, Elliot took the last bite of. . . whatever it was Orcha had made for dinner ("Mystery Meat – I don't know what it is so it's a mystery! Clever, don'tCHA think?"), dropped his dish off for the new dishwasher and began to march towards Glenn's little table in the corner. Today, he was going to make conversation if it KILLED him.

The object of his desire was reading a book and sipping coffee, one leg crossed elegantly over the other, that foot bobbing back and forth idly as his large, bright blue eyes were glued to the page. Elliot grabbed the chair across from Glenn's, pulled it out, and sat down. He placed his elbows on the table, pressed the heels of his palms together, and rested his chin in his open hands. This created just enough noise to get the other Dragoon's attention. He was barely able to swallow his coffee as he stared at Elliot in surprise, almost like that of a Bubba Dingo caught before a band of travelers.

_I long to see the sunlight in your hair   
And tell you time and time again how much I care_

"Lovely weather we're having, aren't we?" said Elliot, smiling brightly.

Much to his dismay, Elliot watched Glenn flap his jaw for a few seconds before quickly taking his book, dropping off his empty coffee cup at the kitchen window and walking hurriedly to the door. Elliot dropped his head onto he table in defeat, and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Ow. That hurt."

* * *

One thing that Elliot liked about being a Dragoon was that the bedtime wasn't so much as a rule as it was a "suggested guideline". Though most of the Dragoons went to bed around that time, many stayed up for an hour or so with friends in the recreation rooms Lady Riddel had lobbied for last year, or went to Termina for drinks at the bar, or spent nights with ladies they had been eyeing. Once in a while Elliot went out as well, but he didn't go out often. Only his parents and sister were alive – all living in Choras – and it wasn't often he found a one-night stand to occupy his time.

Glenn was the type who went to bed at the same time every night – Elliot was sure he could set a clock by Glenn's habits. But, strangely enough, Glenn's bunk lay unoccupied and neatly made – he was late. Elliot found that odd – what was keeping him? Ignoring the other Dragoons, Elliot fastened his belt around his waist, patted his sword, and decided to go look for him.

Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow   
Hello, I've just got to let you know

Elliot checked every nook and cranny he thought the young Dragoon might be (or at least the areas he could access – if Glenn had wanted to see his brother he could very easily slip into places the other Dragoons weren't allowed in). Everywhere he looked he found either no one or everyone BUT Glenn. Not in the mess hall, not in any of the recreation rooms, not even doing guard duty in the jail or at the front gates.

Elliot felt disappointed. . . then worried. _  
  
Cause I wonder where you are and I wonder what you do   
Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you?_

Elliot felt his head begin to beat wildly. What if Glenn was somewhere hurt, like at the bottom of the well? Frantic, Elliot ran to the well, crashed into the wall, and dove his head and torso into the well, balancing himself on his stomach. "HELLO!? IS ANYONE DOWN THERE!?"

He only heard his own echo answer him. . . and a few snickers from some of the nearby guards. Elliot growled in response – vultures. Oh well. They knew who he was by his uniform – they probably wouldn't remember him being outside at all come the next morning, unless someone got in, which was unlikely – no one got into the manor uninvited. It just wasn't done.

Out of the corner of his eye, Elliot saw the Dragon stable. He scratched his head – the old man never slept in the stable, and it was a good place for someone to go if they wanted to avoid human contact. Since Glenn was avoiding him. . . Elliot breathed a sigh of relief. He was probably in the stable. It was an ODD hiding place, but a very good one.

Elliot made the short jog to the stable without incident. None of the guards patrolling the Bluffs paid him any heed, which was just fine for Elliot. He wanted to have a talk with Glenn and it would be best if no one else knew about it. Even though he had tried to avoid being alone with him, it had to be done. Something about Elliot was bothering Glenn, and he hoped and prayed it wasn't that the other Dragoon was uninterested or felt stalked.

But if Elliot knew the problem, he could fix it.

The door was slightly ajar, so Elliot was able to open it without making too much noise. He closed it tight behind him, then sighed. The end of the stable he stood in was almost pitch black – it would have been pitch black if it weren't for a light source coming from the loft at the far end of the stable. Elliot silently cheered.

_That's him. Now what?_

Tell me how to win your heart, cause I haven't got a clue   
But let me start by saying I love you. 

Nervously, Elliot made the walk to the far end of the stable. Some of the dragons snorted a little, and he hoped that this was something they did anyways. Then he wouldn't know that he was coming – if he KNEW, he'd run. Again. This was an opportunity that Elliot had to take – if he didn't, then he may never get another chance like this.

The ladder was up against the loft, which CLEARLY meant someone was up there. The stable master pitched a fit if the ladder was left out when no one was up there. The only time he didn't get mad was when it was the only safe way for someone who was up there to get down. Getting an idea, Elliot let a grin cross his lips as he began to climb the ladder.

_Hello, is it me you're looking for? _

Elliot was more than pleased to see Glenn sitting with his back to the wall, an almost blank look on his face as he stared into the light source – a lone oil lamp. _Lost in thought, _Elliot mused. It appeared as if he planned to spent the night out there – he'd brought some pillows and blankets with him as well as the lamp and a book sitting near one of the pillows. Even after Elliot was entirely on the floor of the landing, Glenn was still lost in thought. . .

. . . that is, until he kicked the ladder down.

THAT got Glenn's attention VERY quickly. His head snapped up in surprise and he stared at Elliot in shock. "Elliot!" he said. "What. . . what. . . the ladder!" he said, getting up and scrambling to the edge. Fearing the younger knight would fall over, he held out and arm and gently caught him. Glenn began to squirm in his grip, turning his head to glare at Elliot. He stopped moving, his eyes turning to ice. "I know that you know about me," he said. "I can still kick your ass."

"That I don't doubt," said Elliot, though Glenn's attitude was frightening. Elliot never heard Glenn swear like that before, so he wondered why he was doing so now. _What the hell did I do to him anyways!? I only want to tell him I've gone mad for him! _"But what do you mean you know that I know?"

Glenn gulped, closed his eyes, and winced. "That I . . . like men." He then turned back to Elliot, beginning to struggle against the other Dragoon again. "There, I said it – are you happy now? Or are you going to hang me with my own belt or something? I know you have been stalking me. Go ahead – no one cares about Dario's gay little brother. Someone will find me in the morning and that will be it, won't it?"

Suddenly, everything fell into place. Glenn KNEW that Elliot was keeping an eye on him all right, but the poor kid had the wrong idea. He thought Elliot was homophobic and wanted to kill him. Though he wanted to laugh at the sheer magnitude of the misunderstanding, he bit his tongue. Elliot let him go, but Glenn didn't run (as if he had any place to go now that Elliot had taken care of their only exit). He did, however, begin to back himself towards a corner, trying to melt into the shadows again. He was afraid. Petrified of the figure standing before him. "Well? How are you going to kill me?"

Elliot began to step towards him, until Glenn was completely in the corner. Elliot put his hands on the walls surrounding his crush and leaned in, a grin on his face. Not a sinister one, but a happy one. "Glenn, I don't want to kill you. You got it all wrong." Glenn seemed confused – he was still a little afraid, but he also didn't seem to know what was going on until Elliot moved in and captured his mouth with his own.

_Cause I wonder where you are and I wonder what you do   
Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you? _

A second that felt like an eternity passed before he felt Glenn wrap his arms around his neck, returning the gesture and sending Elliot into paradise. The two stumbled away from the corner, falling into a pile of hay as they began to tumble and kiss more fervently, running fingers through hair and tongues over the insides of the other's mouth.

He was finally able to pin Glenn in the pile after several minutes, holding his hands above his head with his left hand and running his right index finger down the center of Glenn's chest. The teen shivered, throwing his head back in desire, his hair rustling the hay beneath his head, some of the yellow grass already speckling his shirt and mixed in with his pale yellow locks. "No one has ever kissed me before," he said quietly, mostly because he was slightly short of breath from the surprise of it.

Elliot laughed. "I don't want to kill you – I wanted to kiss you, dummy."

Glenn moved his head back down and gazed into Elliot's eyes. "I am sorry. . . I did not realize you fancied me. . ." he said. He blushed. "I must admit I thought you were handsome as well, but I did not dare say anything for fear that you hated what I am. . . but evidently enough, what you are as well."

"I'm queer and proud."

"Queer?"

Elliot shrugged. "I picked it up somewhere. Means gay."

Glenn blushed. "Oh."

Placing his knees on either side of Glenn's waist, Elliot removed his hands so he could sit up. "I've been smitten with your for a few months now, Glenn. You make my stomach feel funny and my heart beat out of control. I bet you don't even know just how sexy you are."

"That's not true – I'm not special looking."

"My ass it's true!" said Elliot. He dove back down, eliciting a yelp from the other Dragoon as he began to trail kisses around his face. "Your tan – delicious. Your eyes – gorgeous. Your body – delectable. You – are – incredible!" He ended his barrage of kisses on Glenn's mouth, eliciting a soft moan that made Elliot's heart flutter. He was liking it. Nah. LOVING it.

"You want me. . . I don't believe it," Glenn said softly. Elliot caressed the sides of his face as he kissed him again, making the younger want him even more. Inexperience showing, Glenn tried to clumsily return the gesture, eliciting soft laughs from them both at his attempts.

Growing impatient (and unbearably horny), Elliot started to unfasten his belt. He noticed Glenn's eyes widen at the prospect, but once again it was with mild fear – not excitement. Elliot tossed the belt aside and gazed quizzically at the other Dragoon. "Glenn? Is something wrong?"

Glenn frowned. "I'm. . . I'm a virgin."

Elliot's eyes widened – that wasn't something he'd taken into consideration, or been very experienced with. Oh sure he'd rolled around the bed sheets with a few guys before, but the only time he recalled being in a sexual situation with a virgin was when he'd lost his own virginity – he'd NEVER slept with another virgin before. _Of COURSE Glenn's a virgin you dolt! He's not out of the closet yet – of COURSE this is his first time!_

If Glenn was a virgin, he might not want to loose his virginity just yet – never mind in a dragon stable of all places! Elliot's first time had been in a half-decent room at an inn with a nice, soft bed, warm blankets, and tastefully decorated scenery. Here they had the makeshift bed Glenn had brought to camp out with, hay, and kind of ugly walls with some dragons down below.

Glenn gave Elliot a nervous smile. "Just be gentle. Please?"

With those words, Elliot lost what remained of his composure.

* * *

Within just a few minutes shy of an hour (or at least, that's what Elliot guessed), everything had gone quiet. There was a general pile of clothing lying a few feet away, their boots, belts, and swords throw hastily against the wall. The two lovers were lying naked beneath one of the blankets, their arms and legs still tangled together as the younger rested his head on his lover's shoulder, sighing contentedly as he nuzzled closer. Elliot had a dopey smile on his face, more than estatic to have the other knight held tightly in his arms. Almost half-asleep, Glenn murmured something into his lover's shoulder. "Elliot. . . that was amazing. . ."

Elliot laughed. "How would you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just an hour ago you told me you were a virgin – since no one else has come up here, what do you have to compare me to?" Elliot thought aloud. Glenn gently backhanded him. "However, you are right. That was unbelievable," he said, kissing Glenn again. The younger sighed happily, returning the gesture. "I guess all that practice paid off."

Glenn frowned. "If I can ask. . . how much practice?"

Elliot shrugged. "Oh, I don't know – most of 'em were one night stands." Glenn looked down, lowering his eyelids as he made an "o" with his mouth. Elliot frowned, gently lifting his lover's chin. "Oh, come on, now. I'm not going to make THIS a one-night stand. I've spent far too much time chasing after you to have it end tonight."

"Are you serious?" asked Glenn, wide eyed in excitement.

Elliot kissed Glenn on the cheek, then traced the scar on that cheek. "But of course!" He reached down, trying to find Glenn's hand (but purposely missing once or twice to entice cries of surprise). Once he found his hand, he gently brought the loosely clenched fist to his mouth to gently nibble on it, ending with a kiss. "Even though this is our first night together, you already mean more to me than all of the others combined."

"Oh, Elliot," he breathed, reaching to kiss him again as Elliot gently pushed him onto the back. He gave his lover a wry grin, licking his lips, teasing the young man. Glenn smiled back, daring him into taking him again. Elliot raised an eyebrow, slowly bending down to kiss him again.

"Glenn. . .?"

Glenn looked up at Elliot expectedly. "Yes?"

_Tell me how to win your heart, cause I haven't got a clue_

_But let me start by saying . . ._

". . . I love you."

* * *

Considering the crazy hour I wrote this at, I think I did pretty good. In fact, I should probably get to bed. Like, right now.

**(Dixxy goes to bed as random clock nearby reads 3:30 AM)**

_Sometime the following afternoon. . ._

What can I say? I'm a night owl. Stay up all night and sleep all day long. That's the ticket!

The song used is a classic love song by Lionel Ritchie. I though the lyrics fit Elliot's initial feelings towards Glenn as I've portrayed them, since, in a way, it is about a secret admirer (or a stalker). I'm trying to decide the next song and setting.

This will be a fairly short fic (for me, at least). I'll probably cap it off at three-to-five chapters tops, with the last either being the break-up or the event that sent Elliot to the mainland. Keep in mind this is what you might call a "companion" story – it simply adds more dimension to the existing storyline. Part two is nearly done but I still feel like something is missing from it.

I've actually got some other companion stories going for some of my other stories, as well as some completed companion stories. One completed story is a Christmas fic for a Ronin Warriors story I wrote called _End of Innocence_ – another, is, of course, "Frightening Prospects, aka THE LOST CHAPTERS" from _Memories_.

There is also a companion fic in the works for _Thick as Thieves_ that replaces the El Nido chapters and follows what would happen to Serge and his adventure minus several characters who, because of the events of _Thick as Thieves_, are unable to, well, partake in them.

I'm really proud of this.

_Dixxy_


	2. Could I Have This Kiss Forever?

Love Song

By Dixxy

"Could I Have This Kiss Forever?"

"Elliot. . . can you tell me where we are headed?" Glenn asked, letting his boyfriend drag him down the streets of Termina. Though Glenn was in slightly better physical shape than the other man, Elliot was (somehow) the faster runner, and Glenn was having trouble keeping up with him. It also didn't help that Elliot was leading him down unfamiliar roads and side streets – had it been a more familiar area, at least then Glenn could have easily run along side him. Furthermore, it was just after dusk and soon someone would be coming around to light the streetlights. Still, he felt as if Elliot were holding onto him as if he were a child with his favorite stuffed animal, the toy's limbs waving wildly behind as the child ran faster and faster.

It was the weekend, and therefore, no structured training was required of the Dragoons. Glenn had hoped he would get a chance to spend most of the day at least talking with Elliot, but the other knight had made himself scarce until late in the afternoon, when the strawberry blonde announced he had a surprise for his lover. Curious (and excited at the prospect of a surprise), Glenn followed without question.

"You'll see," he called over her shoulder. Elliot gave Glenn a wink, then continued running. Glenn groaned, but knew there was no use in arguing with Elliot. He had a way of being very persistent, especially when it came down to things he really liked. For the past week, Glenn knew that without a doubt he was at the top of Elliot's list of his absolute favorite things.

Glenn also rounded out slots two through twenty as well.

Not that Glenn minded too much – it was nice knowing he had someone to be involved with, even if it was a closely guarded secret. Neither of them wanted the whole world to know yet, but in a way that wasn't so bad. It added a sense of excitement to their relationship. Nothing they had done been normal – they'd only made love in the dragon stable's loft thanks to Elliot's stunt and had only taken the time to talk intimately in an unlocked pantry since then. Glenn disliked being unable to spend more time with Elliot, but for the time being they had no other choice. They were still too nervous, especially Glenn. The whole thing made him more than a little anxious.

Not that Elliot wasn't handsome – he was gorgeous! – but suddenly, Glenn found himself in a place he'd never found himself before. Last week he'd passed one of the last thresholds that marked the line between childhood and manhood, but sometimes he felt uneasy about it – particularly when Elliot wasn't around. Yet, when he was around, Glenn felt whole, as if his metamorphosis was making him a complete person.

He loved Elliot.

Over and over I look in your eyes

You are all I desire

You have captured me

None the less, Glenn frowned at the memory of the loft – or rather, the morning after. What had transpired that night was not a bad thing at all in Glenn's mind. That had been a wonderful experience and he had loved every minute of it. Elliot had been gentle with him, careful to move at Glenn's pace as to not hurt him or worse, and held him throughout the night.

However, things would have gone much smoother the following morning had Karsh of all people not discovered the dropped ladder and decided to investigate. What had ensued after he reached the top was several minutes of chaotic screams and panic that Glenn wasn't entirely sure he could remember most of. Somehow, though, Elliot was able to get him out of the loft and hidden from Karsh's view.

That had been Glenn's biggest moment of uncertainty, and where the rest of his uncertainty had most likely stemmed from. He'd been caught by one of his childhood friends – after all, Karsh was almost like another older brother to him – naked with another man. How was he going to ever face him again? Was Karsh going to tell Dario about it? Dario would KILL Elliot!

He was able to feel better after Elliot held him in their hiding place for close to an hour.

Their hiding place wasn't anything special – it was the brush behind the barn, a place they had been able to reach by some small miracle. It was frightening, though – both of them were still half-dressed and Glenn thought his sword might have still been in the loft. But hiding there with Elliot holding him tightly. . . well, that part wasn't so bad. He felt safe and secure there, and in a way, he didn't want that moment to end.

It came as no surprise when he and Elliot were called to Karsh's office (or rather, Karsh's bedroom – it wasn't exactly an office, per se) and confronted about their late night escapades. Glenn was sure Karsh was ready to chop Elliot's head off his shoulders for "taking his honor away from him", but that was before Zippa arrived with a basket of muffins for her "baked goods deprived son". Once she learned the situation (which was much to Glenn's horror), she began to verbally beat her son into the corner about berating Glenn and Elliot about their preferences (which was much to Glenn's delight).

Zippa then told Elliot to take good care of him and not to play too rough.

I want to hold you

I want to be close to you

I never want to let go

Glenn's attention was brought back to the present when they stopped at the front of an old apartment building in the downtown area. He looked around in curiosity – it wasn't an area he was very familiar with, as he had expected. "Elliot, where are we?" he asked innocently. Glenn knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself should something happen (he hadn't gotten into the Dragoons purely because of his father and brother – if anything he was certain Viper made his entrance exam harder), but he still felt uneasy at the sight of unfamiliar surroundings. "I am not afraid, but I dislike the unfamiliar area."

"It's just my apartment. I used to share it with my brother," Elliot said casually.

"Used to?" Glenn asked.

"Oh. He died in an accident a few years ago," Elliot said also casually.

Glenn paled. "Oh, that's awful! I'm so sorry I-"

Elliot laughed. "Don't worry about it – he died doing what he loved doing."

"Which was. . .?"  
"Performing extremely dangerous circus acts involving fire, sharp objects dipped in Hydra Venom, and wild animals who haven't been fed in two days," said Elliot. He turned back to Glenn with a smile on his face. "I miss Kevin a lot, but when they were able to get to his body. . . well. . . what was left of it, anyways. . . he was smiling. He died happy, doing what he loved, and he'd be mad at me if I broke down and cried every time someone mentioned it. Besides, I haven't thought about him in a while – it's nice to think about him every so often so I don't forget him. Thanks, Glenn. I KNEW you seduced you for a reason, you sexy little temptation, you!"

Glenn still wasn't quite sure if Elliot felt that comfortable with his brother's death (and he wasn't quite sure he liked the nickname, either), but none the less, the strawberry blonde opened the front door without hesitation. Their hands still intertwined, Elliot began to lead him upstairs. "Not a lot of people live here – mostly dock workers and sailors, and you know how often they come around. Even when they do, there's an unspoken agreement here."

"Which is. . .?"  
"Don't ask, don't tell," said Elliot. He snorted. "My brother and I used to hear some STRANGE sounds, but as long as we never asked, they were never explained. Quite frankly I don't want to know what some of those sounds were – I don't mind weird sex games but some of these guys have some very vivid imaginations that go into areas I don't even want to begin to explore. However, that also means if we make any loud noises no one will ask us and we won't have to tell anyone, either."

Glenn smirked. "Looking for THAT, are you?"

Elliot looked at him coyly. ". . . maybe."

I wish that this night would never end

I need to know

"Elliot, I know that there has been one thing you have been paying attention to all week – me, or rather, more specifically, my hips and more importantly my ass," said Glenn. Elliot grinned, turning his eyes sneakily back to Glenn. Glenn sighed. "All right, fine, I have been distracted during our drills this week as well."

"In other words I'm not the only horny one here – who knows, maybe I'll let you be on top sometime," Elliot said with a seductive wink. Glenn blushed wildly as his lover laughed. By this time they had reached the third landing, and Elliot proceeded to go down the hall. He began to scrounge through his pockets, searching for something. "My apartment's down here – I think you'll like it."

"Why would I not? Unless you are a slob I cannot see why I would dislike it."

"Oh trust me – it's not clean OFTEN. I'm not here very often anymore so I usually don't bother cleaning it," said Elliot, stopping before room 307. He produced a key, inserted it into the key hole, and gently unlocked the door. Before he opened the door, however, he took Glenn by surprise, throwing his hand over the teenager's eyes. Glenn let out a cry of surprise and Elliot opened the door and shuffled them bother inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

"Ell-i-ot!!!" Glenn said, batting at the offensive hands. "Quit it!"

"But you're so cute when you squirm!"

"Your apartment or not I will make sure you sleep on the couch!"

As Glenn planned, Elliot quickly let him go. Though they hadn't been together long, it was obvious which of the two would sleep on said couch whenever an argument arose, and his name was Elliot. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Glenn opened his eyes and gasped in amazement. Elliot grinned as he watched his lover take in the scenery. _So, I guess this is why I have not seen Elliot all afternoon. Was he setting all this up? For me?_

Could I hold you for a lifetime?

Could I look into your eyes?

Could I have this night to share this night together?

Could I hold you close beside me?

Could I hold you for all time?

Could I? Could I have this kiss forever. . .

"Oh Elliot, is this all for me?" Elliot grinned as Glenn tried to take it in. The apartment itself was plain, with brown wooden chairs and a tired looking blue couch sitting on a plain wooden floor surrounded by faded green walls. Here and there were a few photographs that showed Elliot standing with a man who, due to their similarity, Glenn guessed was Elliot's brother. The light wasn't very good, the view through the window was rather horrible (it faced another building), and he could somewhat hear the foghorns, a rather unpleasant sound.

What stunned Glenn was what Elliot had done to enhance the apartment. All around them were vases of bellflowers – Glenn guessed at least twelve dozen of the flowers were spread throughout five vases ranging greatly in size and shape. There was also a crude path of flower petals leading into another room, which Glenn couldn't see just yet. Where there were no vases or petals, there were candles – some short and fat, some tall and thin, all burning and leaving a scent of freshly baked sweets lingering in the air. Though the gesture was simple, Glenn didn't think Elliot could have done a better job with gold and jewels.

Over and over I've dreamed of this night

Now you're here by my side

You are next to me

I want to hold you and touch you and taste you

And make you want no one but me

Before he had a chance to say anything else, he felt Elliot scoop him up into his arms. Glenn yelped in surprise, but was still too stunned and touched to put up a sincere argument. "Elliot, I know how to walk," he said quietly. Elliot shook his head, and Glenn sighed, giving up. Whatever Elliot had planned, Glenn decided, he would play along with. Wrapping his arms around Elliot's neck for balance as the older man cradled him, Glenn started kissing him as he was carried into the other room.

Glenn wasn't very surprised to discover it was a bedroom, and done over with the same treatment Elliot had given the living room. However, there was one slight addition that made the young knight nearly go into shock when he saw them. Elliot gently laid him down on the bed, gingerly taking his hand and looking lovingly into his eyes.'

I wish that this night could never end

Oh baby please

"Satin sheets, Elliot?" Glenn asked in amazement as he ran his hand across the smooth, cool to the touch bedding. "Red, satin, sheets?!" Elliot nodded. "Elliot, that is. . . romantic and expensive! How can you afford them on a Dragoon's salary!? Satin is so expensive and hard to come by. . . Elliot, I love you and I appreciate the gesture but are you sure you can handle it?"

The strawberry blonde shrugged. "To be honest, I didn't run out and buy them for you in particular – my mom gave them to me as a gift one year for my birthday," he said. Elliot chuckled. "Haven't gotten a chance to use them yet. You see, satin sheets are VERY romantic, as you're already pointed out, and red is the color of passion and romance – as well as my innate color – but I wasn't going to use them for a one-night stand. I wanted to save it for something that was NOT a cheap fling. This, my love, is no one night stand." He took Glenn's hand, kissed it, and looked up at his lover for approval.

Glenn grinned. "You will want me between them on many repeated visits?"

Elliot forcefully – but not quite roughly- kissed him. "Yesh," he mumbled while still pressing his lips against his lover's. He straddled Glenn's waist and captured his wrists, pinning them to the bed. He playfully grinned at his captive. "One day, maybe they won't have to be visits."

"You want me to live with you?" Glenn asked in surprise.

"Would you?" asked Elliot, raising a curious eyebrow. "Not right now, but maybe in a few years, when we've had a chance to come out?" Glenn turned to his head to the side, blushing. "Is something wrong?" Glenn shook his head. "You aren't acting like it – what's going on through that pretty little head of yours?"  
"It almost sounds like you want me to marry you," said Glenn. He laughed at his lover's confused expression. "Oh, I know it sounds weird but that is how you came off to me. But somehow I doubt that the shrine maidens will ever dub us husband and. . . husband, I guess."

"I'd like to marry you very much, but I can't because you aren't a woman. . . and besides, I think most wedding dresses would probably make you look fat," he said. Glenn glared at Elliot with indignity, but the glare was ignored. "You really are something else. Look at you." Elliot released Glenn's hands and gently began to trace over his chest, eliciting soft moans and shivers from the man below him. "Every muscle. . . every rib. . . every scar. . . it isn't an exact science but it's a perfect art."_Could I hold you for a lifetime?_

_Could I look into your eyes?_

_Could I have this night to share this night together?_

_Could I hold you close beside me?_

_Could I hold you for all time?_

_Could I? Could I have this kiss forever?_

_Could I? Could I have this kiss forever? Forever. . ._

"Elliot. . ." 

"I love it when you say my name like that. . ." said Elliot. He grinned. "You act so tough when you're around other people, but I know it doesn't take that much to turn you into putty. And I LIKE playing with putty." Glenn laughed, gave the other man a wry grin, then surprised Elliot by flipping him over and pinning him to the bed. Elliot stared up at Glenn in shock when he found movement was futile. "When the hell did you suddenly get so aggressive?!"

Glenn gave Elliot a knowing wink. "Come now, love. Just because I play nice for you does not meant I do not know how to be naughty," he said. Elliot growled seductively, sitting up once Glenn released his wrists. The two sat up against the headboard of the bed. After kicking their boots off, Elliot pulled off his shirt and began to try and remove Glenn's.

"Elliot?" Glenn asked as the neck of the shirt was yanked over his head. Elliot looked at the younger man in welcome curiosity. "All of this is very nice, and I wanted to thank you. But. . . well, why are you doing all of this now? Is it simply a celebration of our. . . well. . . one week anniversary, I suppose. . . or something more? I feel like there is more here than meets the eye."

Elliot sighed, wrapping his arms around Glenn and resting his head against the soft tufts of platinum hair. "Well. . . it's actually an apology, if you want to know the truth, Glenn." Glenn pulled away to look at Elliot in surprise, wondering what the apology was all about.

"Is this because I thought you were stalking me? Elliot, I thought I forgave you for that already," Glenn said. He scratched his head. "You shouldn't worry about that – it was just a misunderstanding and if I was mad at you I wouldn't have slept with you! So what is the apology for?"

"Oh, it's not that at all!" Elliot said, patting Glenn on the head. The strawberry blonde pouted and sighed. "You see. . . I feel bad about it. You know, last week. The barn. . . shouldn't have happened. At least. . . well, no, it shouldn't have happened like that at all."

"What? What do you mean?" Glenn asked. "I do not understand."

_I don't want any night to go by_

_Without you by my side_

_I just want all my days_

_Spent being next to you_

_Lived for just loving you_

_And baby, oh by the way_

"Glenn, that was your first time! Your first time shouldn't have been in a smelly old barn and it's my fault that it happened that way! Hell, we even got busted by Karsh and could've gotten into huge trouble if his mom hadn't shown up! Your first time must have SUCKED!" Elliot said. He fell backwards onto the bed. "Even my first time was probably better than that. The guy had the decency to take me to an Inn before he tore off my pants and went at me like a cat in heat! I was just too impatient to do anything better for you! I should have stopped at the kissing and waited to take you back here or the Inn or something better than that place! You're never going to get a chance to loose your virginity again and I'm the one that spoiled it for you. It's supposed to be special. That's why I'm sorry."

Glenn pouted, then placed his forehead against Elliot's. The elder lover looked the other in the eyes, and saw sincerity in them. "I was impatient, too," said Glenn. And he laughed, rolling on top of Elliot. "But Elliot, it sounds to me like your first lover failed to give you a lot of time to think about it. Exactly what happened when YOU lost YOUR virginity? Did he hold you or caress you or kiss you or tell you he loved you like you did with me?"  
Elliot laid where he was, thinking about what Glenn had said. No, the man hadn't said anything. He was quite sure he was half naked before the door was even closed, and the sex HAD been rough – not even so much as a drop of oil had been used to make it easier, either. And then the man left him in the middle of the night without even giving him a name to go with a less than memorable face. His cries had been those of pleasure, not love or even a hint of lusting.

"It wasn't even until I first laid eyes on you that I really thought of sex as an expression of love," Elliot said quietly. "I don't even remember what my first partner looked like, or even his name – if he even bothered to give it to me. But he bought me dinner and the room and-"

Glenn placed his finger to Elliot's lips. "But he never loved you like you loved me. He saw you as a thing, did he not? Just another bedtime playmate, only this one happened to be one who had never played the game before. Elliot, you may have made love to me in a barn but all that matters to me is that we MADE LOVE. Don't you get it, Elliot? I do not care where or when it happened – it WAS special. It was the first time I ever felt like someone could accept me for being attracted to other men. It was the first time anyone kissed me. It was the first time anyone touched me like that. Elliot. . . it would not have mattered to me if you had found the most luxurious bed in the world for us to make love in – those sheets, pillows, and piles of hay were heaven to me that night and I do not think I would have changed a thing. The most important thing I saw was you."

"Are you serious?"

"Why would I not be serious?" Glenn asked. He sighed. "Tell me, Elliot – how many pointless, loveless partners did you have sex with, anyways? And before you tell me some astronomical number, please give me a fair warning because if I faint dead away you will NOT be having any intimate amusement tonight."

"What's your idea of astronomical?"  
Glenn twisted his face in thought. "Forty?"

Elliot burst out laughing. "I'm not even sure I've had sex forty TIMES, never mind with forty different partners!" he said. Glenn blushed. "Don't worry – you don't have the body of a virgin anymore but a lot of your thoughts are still VERY virginal. That was one of them. I've had about eight different sexual partners, seven of which mean nothing to me and number eight is you. I DO, however, know of men at the gay bays who claim to have been with as many as eighty men, but I doubt that."

"Eighty?"  
"They shouldn't have been able to sit down if that was true."

"Why would they even-"

"I don't know, nor do I care." Elliot smiled, taking Glenn's hand. "Though that was not, by any means, my first lay. . . you're right – you're the first person I ever made love to," Elliot whispered. "Now, will you also be the second person I make love to?" Glenn leaned forward, catching Elliot's mouth with his own and entangling his arms with his lover's as the two began to roll with each other, happy to have one another

_Could I hold you for a lifetime_

_Could I look into your eyes_

_Could I have this night to share this night together_

_Could I hold you close beside me_

_Could I hold you for all time_

_Could I, could I have this kiss forever?_

_Could I, could I have this kiss, forever, forever?_

* * *

Yay, part two is done! Done, done, done!!!

Some announcements: COME VISIT JUST ANOTHER WORLD! Iluvrikku12 and I are the administrators on it – Uftaki is a mod and we need members! **If you join and later refer 15 new members, I will write a fic for you.** I also have a mini-board for requests, general discussion on my stories and a growing list of **101 ways to maim Curtis or a Curtis plush toy**.

Now, I know many of you don't appreciate Ronin Warriors the way I do because you've never seen it or what not; well, what about **The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time**? You know, **the best game ever released on the Nintendo 64**? I'm now writing OoT fanfiction – I have a Malink bias, which is Link/Malon (kind of like the Kirge/Gleena/Janorris words we have here). The fic is entitled Beneath the Surface and is currently posted through the first chapter.

Because of the rating and 's default setting of not showing R fics unless you change them around, I knew I wasn't going to get a lot of reviews, but the ones I got were, as always, great. I really do enjoy hearing back from your guys and its one of the reasons I keep writing fanfics.

And lastly, in regards to this fic itself, I'm not EXACTLY sure how I'm going to handle the next chapter. I want to do at least two more, but some reason I'm inclined to add another part to make this a five-part story. My biggest issue is the next part, largely because it deals with the break-up (for those of you who are all gasp you didn't read Prisoners of War, which takes place AFTER they break up). Break-ups are difficult to write. So it'll be a while.

Uftaki: I'm glad you think it'll be interesting, and I'm happy you approved of my first "heavy" venture into yaoi. Personally, I don't think this is as heavy as it could be – then we would be getting into something far kinkier. I'm also happy you enjoyed Elliot's perspective – I really enjoy writing his character. He's very full of emotions and, if he were a real person or cartoon (or polygon character) he'd be very expressive as well. I love my side stories! They're very fun to write!

Dog collar: As far as other yaoi goes, this is mild, though definitely more in-depth than a shounen-ai piece – generally, shounen-ai is light puppy love type fluff between two boys – yaoi is when you begin getting into a much more sexual aspect of a relationship. This is where you begin to see lemons, too, but this isn't a lemon. But hey, compliments are always nice, too!

Tami: I haven't posted anything in a while, so that's probably my fault. Milestone? I don't know if I'd quite say that – my big milestones are when I begin writing for new fandoms, I'd say (like my **Zelda** fic). Yes, it's definitely not smut – not a big fan of that. Granted, I have no qualms about using a little bondage if a character (usually a male) is at the mercy of a female he doesn't particularly care for in a humorous aspect but that's about it. Oh, I know what you mean – the Ronin community is crawling with smutty, smutty yaoi, but it's not all smut. A lot of it is, true enough, but much of it is very well handled. Elliot probably will probably come off as much sweeter than his initial introduction as shown in POW, but this was a good way for me to explore the character and figure out exactly who he is.

Dixxy


	3. Written in the Stars

Love Song  
By Dixxy  
"Written in the Stars"

_By the Green Dragon, I think I've made a mistake. _Glenn sat up in Elliot's bed, starring down at his hands in disbelief. He sighed, looking around his lover's bedroom with a heavy heart. Closing his eyes, Glenn leaned up against the backboard, twisting the new gold band around his finger absently as he tried to figure out exactly what he was getting himself into.

The evening had begun like most of his other evenings with Elliot – up to his apartment, sex, then some quiet cuddle time, lather, rinse, repeat. But just as Glenn was ready to take his usual position for actual sleep (left side of the bed, his head on Elliot's shoulder, one arm across the other soldier's chest) about an hour earlier, Elliot got up.

"_Elliot? Is something wrong?" _he'd asked innocently enough. _  
_

Elliot shook his head, crawling back towards Glenn. "_Of course not."   
_

_"Then where are you going?"_

_I am here to tell you we can never meet again  
Simple really, isn't it, a word or two and then  
A lifetime of not knowing where or how or why or when  
You think of me, or speak of me, or wonder what befell  
The someone you once loved so long ago, so well _

"_I just need to get up for a second." _

Glenn had pouted at the response as Elliot moved over to his dresser, occasionally looking over his shoulder with a devilish grin on his face. He was rummaging through the top drawer, humming something to himself. Glenn knew he'd heard the tune before, but he couldn't quite place it.

After the brief search was over, Elliot stood, one hand behind his back as he advanced towards the bed, still humming. Now Glenn was very confused – if he could only remember what that song was! Why couldn't he place it! He closed his eyes and clenched his fist in frustration.

"_Glenn?"  
_

_"What are you humming! I know that I know this but-"  
_

_"Da, da, da-da, da, da, da-da, da, da, da-da-da, dat-da, dat, da, da." _

And then Glenn recognized the song. "_The. . . the wedding march?" _

Elliot produced a small box from behind his back and opened it, revealing a gold band meant for his lover's finger. "_Glenn. . . I can't exactly marry you. . . we both know that. . . but that doesn't mean we can't have, well, something. It could be just like a wedding. We could both wear our dress uniforms or fancy suits, and we can exchange some sort of vows for our friends and families and maybe even get rings. . . because I love you. And I don't even want to let you go. I intend to keep you by my side for all of eternity. Glenn. . . would you?" _

_Never wonder what I'll feel as living shuffles by  
You don't have to ask me and I need not reply _  
_Every moment of my life from now until I die  
I will think or dream of you and fail to understand  
How a perfect love can be confounded out of hand _

Glenn hadn't hesitated to say yes, and instantly the two had found themselves tangled in each other once more in brief celebration. For a few minutes, the younger was estatic – Elliot really DID love him and wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. He was never going to have to be alone ever again.

And then, as Elliot drifted off to sleep, Glenn began to have second thoughts.

_Forever. . . that is a long time, he thought. I love Elliot. . . but. . . the rest of my life is a long time. . . I am only a few months shy of seventeen. . . _he thought. _Can I really just settle down like this? Can I get, well, the gay equivalent of married, when I am only sixteen years old? _

But there were other thoughts entering his mind. Elliot failed to realize that, for the most part, both of them were in the closet, and doing something like what he had in mind would mean confronting family members and friends. Glenn didn't really know how Dario felt about homosexuality, much less how he would feel about his baby brother announcing he was getting married to a man. And if Dario rejected him, well, Dario was all the family he had anymore. As it was Karsh barely tolerated the situation – he probably assumed that the young blond was just "experimenting" and would ultimately end up with some young woman later on (though Glenn was pretty sure he wasn't "experimenting"). Even the open-minded Zippa might've had a few reservations about the idea.

_Is it written in the stars  
Are we paying for some crime  
Is that all that we are good for  
Just a stretch of mortal time _

_If I do this with Elliot, I might end up loosing everyone else I love, _Glenn thought. Then what would happen? If everyone disapproved of the idea (which, to be all honest Glenn realized was something he'd never heard of before), then where would they go? He could picture Elliot taking him on a tiny boat and going to some small island in the middle of nowhere. Glenn couldn't help but suddenly cringe. He loved Elliot. . . but he wasn't so infatuated with him that he'd be able to stand seeing Elliot and ONLY Elliot for whatever remained of his lifetime.

Glenn looked down at the ring again. This is a mistake.

_Is this God's experiment  
In which we have no say  
In which we're given paradise  
But only for a day  
_  
A yawn nearby announced that Elliot was waking up. Glenn froze in place, unsure of what he was going to do next. _What do I do? What do I say? I, how can I tell him I don't want to do this anymore? After all the times we've made love and kissed, can I really just reject him like that? _

Elliot was awake."Glenn?"

_Nothing can be altered, oh, there is nothing to decide  
No escape, no change of heart, no any place to hide  
You are all I'll ever want but this I am denyin'  
Sometimes in my darkest thoughts I wish I never learned  
What it is to be in love and have that love returned _

Glenn stared at his still half-asleep lover with a frown. "Elliot, I do not think I can do this."

"Wha?" Elliot asked with a yawn. "I don't get it."

"I am not ready for this."

"Ready for what?"

_Hmm. . . he's still not as awake as I thought he was, _Glenn thought. "Elliot, I love you but I do not think I am ready to settle down and marry you yet. I have been thinking and I am a little scared. I am not even seventeen yet." He rested his forehead on Elliot's shoulder. "I am afraid."

_Is it written in the stars  
Are we paying for some crime  
Is that all that we are good for  
Just a stretch of mortal time _

"Of what?" asked Elliot.

"Of what people will say."

"Screw 'em. We can take off and forget about them."

"I am afraid I do not want to do that," said Glenn. He frowned. "I do not think I could just leave Dario or Riddel or Karsh. . . they mean too much to. I love my brother and my friends – I do not think I could just take off on them and forget about them like that."

"What are you saying?" asked Elliot. He narrowed his eyes, seeming to get frustrated with his young lover. "What if they don't accept you? Glenn, no one loves you more than I do! If it comes down to just you and just me against the world I'm all for it! I'll never abandon you no matter what!"

"How can you say that?" Glenn said. He got up out of the bed and grabbed his pants. "I grew up with these people – Dario and I share the same blood! Everything I loved and hated about my childhood is with them! They are apart of my life and I can't just leave them just because you want to run off and get married!"

"So you'd rather spend the rest of your life lying to them about it?"

"I never said that!" said Glenn.

"You think you can just go on for the rest of your life convincing them you're not gay. You'd probably even marry some poor girl to use as false proof of which way the door swings. Is that what you want! Is that it?" said Elliot. He sat up and pointed an accusing finger at the younger Dragoon. "You're only lying to yourself, Glenn!"

"I know what I am and who I am!" Glenn yelled back. By this point their argument was escalating to a point that had never been reached in the relationship before. "I don't exactly see you running around proclaiming your preferences to the world, either! You don't understand – the world isn't ready for us yet and we can't do that to ourselves or our families!"

The screaming continued, each lover tearing the other lover down bit by bit, using words they thought they would never use against another person in their entire lives. Glenn found himself nearly fighting tears, desperately hoping that they wouldn't leave his eyes. He couldn't start crying now.

"Why am I wasting my time with a kid?" Elliot finally said. Glenn froze on the spot. "You're acting like a fucking baby. You're trying to cling to people who you don't even know are going to accept you for who you are – they're going to call you a freak or worse! Before you started on this I thought I loved you!"

Glenn stayed still as the words hit. "I thought I love you." Then, did that mean Elliot didn't love him anymore? Glenn fell to his knees, staring at the floor of Elliot's bedroom in shock. Suddenly, he couldn't remember any of the good times they had spent together. He couldn't remember what it felt like when they made love. He couldn't remember what Elliot's voice sounded like when he laughed or spoke kind words to him.

Elliot wasn't saying anything in his defense, but Glenn could sense his anger from across the room as the other man started to get dressed. Awkwardly, Glenn started to get up. He saw Elliot glance back at him in disgust. The younger swallowed. "I don't love you, either."

_Is it written in the stars  
Are we paying for some crime  
Is that all that we are good for _  
_Just a stretch of mortal time _

That was it. That was the final word that led to the full blown fight between Elliot and Glenn. Elliot launched himself across the room to where Glenn stood and brought him to the floor as the two exchanged physical blows, screaming and shouting obscenities at each other. Hair was pulled, lips were busted, and each had at least one black eye to sport for the next several days.

They stopped when both heard the sound of metal. Both stopped, froze, and saw the sword in the other's hand. The room was quiet for the next several moments and neither young man moved. Their anger had escalated to weapons. Fists and punches were one thing, but this would bring their fight to a life or death level.

Neither Elliot nor Glenn wanted to die.

Glenn was the first to his feet, shaking as he stared at the sword in his hand. "Elliot?"

"Yes, Glenn?"

"I. . . I do not think we should see each other any more."

Elliot closed his eyes, turned away from Glenn, and nodded.

"Then, we are in agreement."

Elliot nodded again.

Glenn quietly sat down and began to finish dressing. Elliot sat motionless on the floor, not looking at the young man with whom he had shared a bed for three months. The silence was eerie, and neither young man wanted to remain in it for very long. Once the last belt buckle had been fastened and his sword had been re-sheathed, Glenn stumbled towards the door.

"Good bye, Elliot."

_Is this God's experiment God's experiment  
In which we have no say In which we have no say  
In which we're given paradise If only for a day  
But only for a day _

It was several hours later that the sound of someone knocking at the door woke Karsh from his sleep. Irritable, cranky, and not at all in the mood for company at two in the morning, the Deva muttered to himself as he padded to the door of his bedroom in Viper Manor, ready to tear apart the ignorant private who was probably standing outside his chambers.

Finally, he was at the door, the knocking still commencing. _I don't get paid enough to baby-sit lonely privates who want to go back home to their mommies. I really don't. I'm a Deva, not somebody's God-damn mother! _"Who is it?" he snapped as he flung the door open.

Karsh softened when he saw a disheveled, dripping-wet Glenn shuddering as he looked up at his long time friend. "I, I'm sorry to bother you, Karsh, but. . . can I please spend the night here? I know you don't like getting woken up at this hour, but no one woke up at the smithy and I don't want to spend tonight alone. . ." he said.

"Well, what about. . . that. . . uh. . . Elliot-"

And with that word, Glenn broke down and started to cry. Seeing that this was serious, Karsh led his friend inside and lit a candle. He held his best friend's younger brother as he sobbed into his shoulder. Though he had half a mind to yell at Glenn and tell him to be a man, well, somehow that didn't seem like a good idea in this situation. "What happened?"

"I was a virgin before I met him. . ." he said softly. "I loved him."

Karsh sighed. "Elliot dumped you?"

"I don't know."

_Is it written in the stars  
Are we paying for some crime  
Is that all that we are good for  
Just a stretch of mortal time _

The two friends stood in silence, Glenn continuing to cry over his break-up while Karsh wondered what he would do next. It didn't seem right to send him out now, nor did it seem right to yell at him. He'd had to handle it here and now. But first, he needed to get Glenn out of those wet clothes.

_Wet? _

"What happened to your clothes?"

"Rain."

"Really?"

"Uh, huh."

"Well, I think I can spare you an extra night shirt – if you don't get out of those you'll catch a cold and Dario will yell at me, all right?" Karsh walked away from Glenn to find said nightshirt. Glenn didn't move, and Karsh frowned. "You know, Glenn, I wasn't upset at you the day I found you and Elliot in the stable because you were gay."

Glenn didn't say anything, but Karsh could hear a slight shudder.

"I was pissed off because you're sixteen. You're too young to be sexually active and quite frankly I've been scared to death these past few weeks seeing you with him," he said. He finally found the nightshirt and handed it to Glenn, who was staring at him with blank eyes. "I don't care what you like, but I do care who you're with. I disapproved only because of how much older he is than you are and how old you are now."

"So you do not think I'm a freak?"

"Nah, not at all," said Karsh. "I've been dealing with gay Dragoons for a long time. I don't know why, but apparently I give off this 'come out of the closet to me' vibe that Dario and Zoah don't seem to give off at all. Riddel thinks it 'cute'. I find it a little irritating."

"Why?"

"Because it's the same thing every time – they all think they're weird freaks of nature just because they don't like women. I tell them all the same thing," he said. Glenn nodded, urging Karsh to go on. "With the way women complain about the stupidest things, sometimes I don't blame them for liking men."   
"That's not the reason-"

"Yeah, I know, but it's a joke. It eases the tension and they're more liable to open up a bit," said Karsh. He sat down on the edge of his bed and continued. "I know I'm a bit of a hard-ass most of the time – I know it, you know it, Viper knows it, even that little lady with the flower cart knows it. But in a few cases I do listen to Dragoons – this is one of those few cases."

"What else do you listen to?"

"Well, a lot of guys come to me if they've gotten a girl in trouble, if they received word that a loved one has past away, or if they need an extra man to play volleyball against Zoah – and we both know playing against Zoah is a guaranteed loss without extra players," Karsh said. "You know I don't like listening to bleeding hearts who are just homesick, because that's one thing they have to get over by themselves. Stuff like this, though, well, it's my belief that you need someone to talk to."

Glenn looked at the nightshirt in his hands. "But you're not upset I'm gay?"

"Well, you're one less good looking young Dragoon I have to compete with over women."

Glenn couldn't help but laugh.

_Is this God's experiment God's experiment  
In which we have no say (In which we have no say)  
In which we're given paradise (Given paradise)  
But only for a day

* * *

_

As you all know by now, review responses are no longer allowed in postings - this means they will officially stop in this context, but I will probably use the "reply" button if you leave a review for me.

I will say that I am a LITTLE torn on whether or not to leave this where it is now. I could do another chapter or two that would put Elliot in the rebellion movement and Glenn's reaction to Elliot's "death". I really don't know if I want to do those things or not. They sound like fun. And it would give me a chance to do some more exploring of Elliot's character and how I'm going to use him for PoW (which I can't really work on right now for a variety of technical reasons - to my knowledge this is the only story that applies to and this problem will be fixed by the end of the month).

Just as another note, I ordered most of my major projects in order of importance and interest - if you're rading this, chances are you will be delighted to know that _Thick as Thieves_ is at the top of my priority list because I have the next two chapters and a little beyond planned out. The next item on the list was _End of Innocence_, of which I have the next immediate chapter figured out but I'm having conflict with the rest of it. _Beneath the Surface_, my Zelda project, placed third. _Age of Legends_ hit fourth or fifth (it was about the same importance as the _Curtis_ saga). I don't think I remembered it at the time but the next few stories down the list included _Swords and Swallows_, this story, and _Prisoners of War_.

"But Dixxy, what about the one with Sonja and Genie? Didn't you have the next chapter written already?"

Honestly, that story is the LEAST of my worries. It has continuity, yes, but the plot isn't so pressing that it needs immediate attention. . . well. . . ever. It basically updates whenever I get the urge or a good idea as to how to torment Glenn using the Green summons (or torment the Summons with other Summons).

However, I will say this - right now I really, really want to work on this story - probably because it is so damned close to completion if not already. Plus it would probably help me out a lot with PoW and get that story finished. Then everything else gets done because that's two less projects on my mind to worry about finishing.

I'm done rambling for now - leave me lots of reviews!

Dixxy


End file.
